Trampolines have long provided popular recreational and sports related activities, and are increasingly utilized for establishing physical fitness via cardiovascular, strength and resistance training, and for improving physical control, coordination, and mental acuity. In particular, trampolines are a popular recreational use amongst children and young adults. Historically, athletes engaged in competitive gymnastics also utilize trampolines. Other uses include dive training to simulate and practice aerial maneuvers.
Although popular in use, above-ground trampolines are often characterized as unsafe recreational and/or sports training implements, due in large part to the significant and ever-increasing number of trampoline-related injuries. Specifically, the most common trampoline-related injuries include sprains, cuts, contusions, and various forms of bodily fractures, including life-threatening fractures to the skull and spine. Many such injuries occur when the trampoline user falls from the above-ground trampoline and sustains injury upon impact with the surface below and/or with other fixed objects in the area surrounding the trampoline. The extent of the injuries is often exacerbated by the added height of the above-ground trampoline. When combined with the jump height, the added height of the trampoline increases the energy of impact, which, in turn, increases the extent and severity of the injuries.
In an effort to reduce the number of trampoline fall-related injuries, medical societies and associations recommend that the trampoline jumping surface or mat be positioned at ground level, thereby significantly reducing the drop or fall height, and thus, the likelihood and/or severity of injuries resulting from the same. Notwithstanding such recommendations, barriers to implementing trampoline systems with a ground-level jumping surface, include cost, non-standard design and construction requirements, difficulties in construction, and/or difficulties in disassembling and relocating the in-ground trampoline unit.
In response to the need for an in-ground trampoline system (i.e., placing the trampoline jumping mat or surface at ground level), a number of in-ground trampoline systems have been developed that can be installed, for example, by a homeowner or a landscaper. One such example is exhibited by U.S. Pat. No. 7,691,032, which patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
However, in-ground trampoline placement creates additional issues not present when the trampoline is located above-ground. Often in-ground trampolines do not have adequate ventilation to release air trapped below the trampoline mat when a jumper compresses the mat. Essentially, the jumper compresses the mat, thereby reducing the volume below the trampoline system. Since the base of the trampoline is now sub-surface, sidewalls prevent the escape of the now compressed air. Consequently, the compressed air is forced past the protective pad. Because traditional protective pads are made of a pad wrapped in a nylon or other polymeric coating, the compressed air cannot escape through the protective pad, resulting in the air forcing the protective pad up and down in response to the compression and expansion of the sub-mat volume. Along with the noise and distraction associated with the rise and fall of the protective pad, the restricted air flow can reduce the force returned by the trampoline mat, thereby reducing the potential height of the jumper. These issues often cause users to remove the protective pad and operate the trampoline with the support structures and springs exposed to the user. This condition greatly reduces the safety of the system.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for an in-ground trampoline system that provides maximum safety, while eliminating the above-mentioned disadvantages typically associated with an in-ground trampoline.